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Al-Hafiz Yunus OmotayoJournalist, Missionary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of Nigeria, and Chairman, Muslim Writers Guild of Nigeria. (E-mail: al-hafiz@thetruth.ng) An array of both immediate and remote factors stimulated this piece. On February 1, 2022, Amnesty International released a damning report titled “Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: a cruel system of domination and crime against humanity.” The investigation details how Israel enforces a system of oppression and domination against the Palestinian people wherever it has control over their rights. This includes Palestinian living in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OTP), as well as displaced refugees in other countries. (1) Particularly, the comprehensive report sets out how massive seizures of Palestinian land and property, unlawful killings, forcible transfer, drastic movement restrictions, and the denial of nationality and citizenship to Palestinians are all components of a system which amounts to apartheid under international law. This system is maintained by violations that Amnesty International found to constitute apartheid as a crime against humanity, as defined in the Rome Statute and Apartheid Convention. (2) Remotely, over the centuries, particularly, both the 20th and the 21st, the Middle Eastern Israeli-Palestinian region has been a hotbed of incessant inter-racial, inter-religious and international crises, conflicts and wars the ominous impacts of which have not only continued to bedevil the socio-political conditions and landscapes of the region, but have also polarized the larger world with resultant jeopardy to global peace and harmony. Historically, the bone of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian crisis initially was: who are the rightful aboriginal owners of the Holy Land of Palestine: the native Arab Palestinians or the Jews? The debates, the crises and the wars on this question spanned the centuries, in fact, the millennia, which preceded the modern 20th century. Then, during the course of some historical moves made by certain Euro-American powers backing the Zionist movement from roughly the late 19th to almost mid-20th centuries, the issue shifted to: why should or should not the Jews in the Diaspora be re-settled and granted statehood in the Holy Land? Subsequently, since the Euro-American sponsored UN’s creation of the State of Israel in 1948 till date, the incessant crises and wars have been revolving around not only the issue of: why should or should not the Arab Palestinians be granted autonomous statehood status in the Holy Land, but also: what geographical area should or should not the boundary of such a state cover? This is the crux of the monster. Importantly, “the essence of this case”, as Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad [rta] maintained, “is that a conspiracy of the Western powers, in which the defunct League of Nations and subsequently its successor, the United Nations actively participated and the government of Britain and the U.S. played the pivotal role, resulted in the emergence of a Jewish state in Palestine which no standard of justice, international law, or the Charter of the United Nations would have sanctioned. They could not have moved a step towards the creation of Israel without the active connivance of these powers. Anyhow, this fateful decision was taken and, ever since, this region has been a scene of armed conflicts and a hotbed of international intrigues.” [3] Observably, one emerging fact from the above is what Professor Ismail Raji Al-faruqi referred to as a “three-cornered affair, involving the Muslim World, Western Christendom and the Jews.” [4] However, there is no gainsaying the fact that none of the three worlds locked in the crisis can be seen to have been pathetically victimized and bedeviled by its devastating consequences much more than the Muslim-dominated Palestinian camp. Little wonder that Al-Faruqi further starkly declared that “the problem of Israel confronting the Muslim World today has neither precedent nor parallel in Islamic history. The Muslim World has tended to regard it as another instance of modern colonialism, or at best, as a repetition of the Crusades. The difference is not that Israel is neither one of these; but that it is both and more, much more.” [5] Notably, the past decades have seen a number of failed peace processes initiated by the Superpowers as well as numerous never-to-be-implemented UN’s resolutions on the crisis. Woeful developments which many observers believe are largely due to the fact that their initiators are themselves the masterminds of, and complicit in, the whole monster. Similarly, the decades of Palestinians’ strategic resort to suicide bombings or martyrdom operations have merely always left the Palestinians with greater devastating consequences. Now, as the conundrum further exacerbates and the Palestinians stand at a crossroad where future prospect seems almost not foreseeable, the self-imposing questions confronting the Palestinians, in particular, and the global Muslim world, in general, are: Why has Palestinians’ continuous looking towards the Western or Eastern Superpowers or the UN for solution failed to bring about the dire freedom? What should be the ultimate move? By highlighting the Palestinians’ and Muslim world’s neglected obligation, this piece interrogates and recommends the missing link in the struggle towards actualizing the freedom of the Palestinians. The Age-Long Most Disputed Land of Palestine The land of Palestine, located in the Middle East, witnessed the first recorded form of civilization in human history in the city of Jericho which was established ten thousand years ago. Ever since it was inhabited by the Canaanites and the sea immigrants named Philistines who integrated with them later on. [6] The land, previously known as the land of Canaan, took the name of the new settlers and came to be known as Palestine. [7] Prophet Ibrahim [Abraham] came to this land around the year 1900 B.C.; in narrating this story the Torah called the area “the Land of Canaan”, admitting the existence of a civilization on the land prior even to the coming of Prophet Ibrahim, the great grandfather of Arabs and Jews. His grandson, Yaqoob [Jacob or Israel], from whom Jews descended migrated with his children from the land of Canaan to Egypt, where they stayed until 1250 B.C. in which Moses took them to the Holy Land.[8] The history of

Condemns Owo Massacre in Strong Terms It was a huge landmark and historic day on Sunday, 19th June 2022 as the National Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of Nigeria, Barr. Alatoye Folorunso AbdulAzeez commissioned an Ultra-Modern Central Mosque at Ajagamibo Avenue, Aradagun Badagry in Lagos State.The worship centre was built with state-of-the-art facilities, tiled both within and outside, embedded with good-looking minarets, and surrounded by attractive flowers in a serene and spacious environment. Named ‘Baitul-Fatah Mosque’, the place of worship can easily accommodate over 600 worshippers at once. The foundation of the Mosque was first laid in October 1980 by the then head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Nigeria, His Eminence Ajmal Shaheed Ahmad. The foundation stone was re-laid on Saturday 19th February 2022 by the Badagry Branch President of the Muslim Organization, Pa. M.B Okubena. Hence the mosque project was completed in a record four-month. The Mosque was built and donated by one of the blessed families of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – the Popoola family in honor of their late father Alhaj Abdul Fatah Atanda Popoola who was a staunch and devoted member till his demise in 1982. In his address, the National Head of the Muslim organization lauded the initiatives of the Popoola family, stressing the importance of Mosque building and its aftermath rewards in the hereafter. He added that all places of worship must be sacred centres void of evil acts. Alhaji Alatoye further admonished worshippers to always have pure and sincere minds when observing prayers in Mosques as this is pleased with Almighty God. “The rewards for building Mosques in honor of our late loved ones are in multitudes.  It is a life-time reward.  The initiative of the Popoola family is hereby commendable”. “We must worship in the Mosque with our hearts filled with love, kindness, and piety.  Everything we do in the Mosque must be Godly.  May Allah accepts our sincere prayers,” he prayed. Owo Massacre highly condemnable Alhaji Alatoye also used the opportunity to, once again, condemn in strong terms, the brutal attack on worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State. He stated: “It is difficult to believe any group of individuals could have the audacity to attack a place of worship filled with human beings who were gathered to worship God, the Almighty. This is the peak of an affront against God and man that will never go unpunished.  There is no absolutely no justification whatsoever for any group of people to engage themselves in such a callous and dastard act.” “Even in the face of a defensive response to an act of war, the Holy Quran expressly forbids believers from attacking places of worship, children, women, and priests.” The Amir further informed that the youths of the organization joined others in donating blood to the surviving victims of the barbaric attacks. He thus urged the police force to fish out all the perpetrators and their masterminds and made them to face the full wrath of the law for their devilish acts.

Nurudeen Akinreti Following the gracious approval of the worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (May Allah be his Helper), the new board for The Truth newspaper was inaugurated recently. The inauguration was anchored by the Amir (National Head) of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of Nigeria, Alhaji (Barr.) Alatoye Folorunso Azeez was held at the Conference Hall of the organization in Ojokoro, Lagos State with all the new members in attendance (both physically and online). The names of the new Board members, as approved by His Holiness are Mr. Abdul Wahab Matepo (Board Chairman), Mr. Ishaq Popoola (Editor), Mr. Ismail Abdul Quadri (Board Secretary), Muallim Abubakar Abdul Hadi, Mr. Nurudeen Akinreti, Mr. Ajibade Taofeek, Mr. Bayo Issa Ewuoso, Muallim Qasim Oyekola, Muallim Yunus Omotayo and Mrs. Muslimah Okunnu-Adebisi. Among various terms of reference, the new board has been saddled with the responsibilities of regular newspaper publication in line with the ethics of internationally-recognized standard journalism; holding regular board meetings and recovering all sales proceeds to sustain continuous production. Barr. Alatoye urged the new board to live up to the expectations of members of the Jama’at on the newspaper and carry out His Holiness assignment with utmost diligence, proper planning, and organization. He also emphasized the need for the new team to reposition The Truth Newspaper which will ultimately ensure its sustainability.  The Amir advised the leadership, management team, and staff members of the newspaper to rise to the occasion and carry out their duties with a sense of humility and dedication. The Jama’at’s National Publications Secretary, Alh Mudathir Dada promised to support the Board in every way possible to achieve its objectives. Responding on behalf of Board members, Bro Abdulwahab Matepo expressed appreciation to the Jama’at Management for finding them worthy to revive Nigeria’s first Muslim newspaper. He promised that the Board would strive to make The Truth attractive as well as a dependable source of information and enlightenment to both the Muslim and non-Muslim community. He solicited prayers and for the support of the Jama’at at all levels to meet the expectations of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) Also in attendance were: the Naib Amir Finance and Administration, Alhaji Mufadhil Bankole as well as AMJN Publication Secretary, Alhaji Mudaththir Dada.

– By Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo The Amir (National Head) of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of Nigeria, Alhaji Barrister Alatoye Folorunso Azeez, has called on all Muslim faithful and the Nigerian leaders and citizens in general that, in the face of the present critical situation the country is passing through, it becomes imperative for a people that yarns for peace and development to translate to affirmative action all the lessons of Eid-ul- Adha as demonstrated by the Prophet Ibraheem to realize national development and peace. The prominent religious leader made this call in his Eid al-Adha message e-signed and made available to The Global Outreach today, 9 July, 2022. While felicitating with Muslims in Nigeria and across the world on the auspicious Eid-ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) of this year 1443/2022, he reminded the faithful that “the spirit and essence of this sacrifice have been declared in the chapter 22 verse 38 of the Holy Quran that “Their flesh reaches not Allah, nor does their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches Him. Thus, has He subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for His guiding you. And give glad tidings to those who do good.” In view of this Quranic declaration, he, therefore, harped that ‘it is imperative that we reflect on the fact that the narrative of the sacrifice and righteousness of Prophet Ibraheem, the patience of Prophet Isma’eel and the fortitude of his mother, Hagar reverberates the core ethos and virtues that Eid-ul-Adha annually enlivens in the consciousness of the faithful to emulate and demonstrate in our divine-human relationship and in all ramifications of our actions, reactions, interactions and transactions.” Furthermore, speaking on the multifarious challenges facing the country and the upcoming 2023 general elections, he charged that, “in the spirit of Abrahamic sacrifice and for the sake of a greater and peaceful Nigeria, great sacrifice must be made towards organizing free, fair, credible and peaceful elections, as “Verily, Allah commands you to make over the trusts to those entitled to them, and that, when you judge between men, you judge with justice,” (Quran, 4:59).” He further canvassed that, “Selfishness and parochial interest must be sacrificed for collective, national interest. More so, political participation, activism, leadership and governance must be underpinned by the spirit of sacrifice, righteousness, sincerity of purpose and selfless service to humanity and national development, cohesion, solidarity, peace and stability. Imperatively, Nigerian politicians and political leaders must sacrifice dirty and bitter politics on the alter of altruistic politics, selfish political godfatherism for patriotic statesmanship, political thuggery for sportsmanship, nepotism and favouritism for equitable distribution of the commonwealth, warfare for welfare, iniquity for equity and injustice for justice.” The full text of the message can be read below: THE AMIR (HEAD), AHMADIYYA MUSLIM JAMAAT NIGERIA 2022 (EID-UL-ADHA ) FEAST OF SACRIFICE MESSAGE “On behalf of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of Nigeria, I felicitate with Muslims in Nigeria and across the world on the auspicious Eid-ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) of this year 1443/2022.” “It is gratifying that Eid-ul-Adha serves as a reminder of that example of sacrifice set over 4,000 years ago. Despite so much time having elapsed, the believers have kept this memory alive and it has not diminished. Yet there will be those who celebrate this Eid merely as a festival; who sacrifice animals merely as an occasion of happiness. However, a true believer must remember the importance and the spirit of that sacrifice offered by the Great Patriarch, the Prophet Ibraheem (peace be on him). The spirit and essence of this sacrifice have been declared in the chapter 22 verse 38 of the Holy Quran thus: “Their flesh reaches not Allah, nor does their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches Him. Thus, has He subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for His guiding you. And give glad tidings to those who do good.” “ In this light, as we go through this festive season, it is imperative that we reflect on the fact that the narrative of the sacrifice and righteousness of Prophet Ibraheem, the patience of Prophet Isma’eel and the fortitude of his mother, Hagar reverberates the core ethos and virtues that Eid-ul-Adha annually enlivens in the consciousness of the faithful to emulate and demonstrate in our divine-human relationship and in all ramifications of our actions, reactions, interactions and transactions.” “More importantly, for us in Nigeria, there is no doubt that we are currently passing through a critical time as a people and a nation. This is hallmarked by the gamut of challenges of political economy, endemic corruption, crippling educational and power sectors and the heightening crisis of insecurity characterized by the dastardly acts of banditry, terrorism and the incessant heinous cases of kidnapping for ransom and for ritual and the senseless killings and destructions by the so-called “unknown gunmen”.” “Above all, however, as we move closer to Osun State governorship election and the ultimate 2023 general elections, the ongoing electioneering season is gradually witnessing a sharp surge of issues associated with elections in Nigeria, ranging from hate speech and fake news, to bitter and dirty politics, to secessionist or separatist jingoism, divisive tribal or ethnic partisanship, politicization of religious issues and endemic cases of vote trading and other election malpractices.” “In the face of this critical situation, it becomes imperative for a people that yarns for peace and development to translate to affirmative action all the lessons of Eid-ul- Adha as demonstrated by the Prophet Ibraheem, particularly as Muslim and Christian reverence him as the Father of the faithful; incidentally, Nigeria is majorly made up of the two religious groups with 53.5% Muslim, 45.9% Christian and 6% others, according to the 2018 CIA Factbook estimate.” “In the spirit of Abrahamic sacrifice and for the sake of a greater and peaceful Nigeria, great sacrifice must be made towards organizing free, fair, credible and peaceful elections, as “Verily, Allah commands you to make over the trusts to those entitled to them, and that, when you judge between men,

Eid al-Adha: Sacrifice Inhumanity for humanity to Realize Individual, National Development, Progress and Peace – Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo Tells Nigerians On Friday, 8 July 2022 Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo had the honour to grant an interview to MLC TV Channel and Kogi Confluence Radio (95.5FM) news reporter at the Mission Office, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Mosque, Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria. The gist of the brief talk, which lasted for about 5 minutes, is captured below for the reading audience. Newsman: Good morning.  Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo: Good morning. Newsman: Please, kindly tell us your name and what you do. Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo: My name is Yunus Omotayo. I’m the Imam and Missionary of the Lokoja Circuit of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of Nigeria. As a journalist of the Jama’at, I’m a correspondent to it’s The Truth Newspaper and head of the News and Editorial Department of its Voice of Islam (VOI) online Radio. I’m also the current National Chairman of the Muslim Writers Guild of Nigeria and the publisher of The Global Outreach website. I think that should suffice for now.  Newsman: Sir, why is Eid-ul-Adha so important to Muslim Faithful? Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo: Yea, firstly, we have to take cognizance of the fact that Eid-ul-Adha means Festival of Sacrifice which holds annually on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic Hijrah calendar. It commemorates the sacrifice, the obedience and faithfulness of the Prophet Ibrahim (as), the patience of his son, the Prophet Ismail (as) and even the fortitude displayed by the son’s mother, Hagar. As to the question of why is it significant to the Muslim faithful, the answer is that Allah, Himself, commanded the Muslim faithful to emulate everything Abrahamic: his religion, his way of life, his sacrifice, obedience and righteousness, and so on. This commandment appears in several places in the Holy Quran. However, let me just quote one of such verses. In Chapter 16 verses 121 to 124 Allah declares that: (quoting the Arabic text……) “Verily, Abraham was a nation unto himself, a builder and leader of a nation, always obedient to Allah and ever inclined to Him and certainly not belonging to the idolaters. Ever grateful for His favours; He chose him and guided him to a straight path. And We bestowed on him good in this world, and in the Hereafter, he will surely be among the righteous. And now We have revealed to you, saying, ‘Follow the way of Abraham who was ever inclined to God and was not of those who set up equals to Him.” So, in these verses, Allah has commanded Muslims to emulate Abrahamic moral and spiritual virtues, and this grand sacrifice epitomized the heights of his morality, spirituality and Godliness for the Muslim faithful. To attain such heights, Eid-ul-Adha resonates the need for every Muslim to slaughter his or her ego or, in the usage of the Quran, the ‘evil-inciting self’ in order to realize the rebirth of the ‘soul at peace’ with its Lord. Newsman: How can the significance of Eid El Adha be applied in our today’s life, especially at a moment like this that Nigeria is faced with numerous challenges of insecurity, corruption and other societal issues sir? Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo: Absolutely, Eid-ul-Adha has great significance and lessons that address the challenges confronting Nigeria as a country. There is no doubt that we are in a critical time. Nigeria is ranked 6th on the 2022 global terrorism index and has just dropped 5 places to rank 154th on the global corruption index. Although, it is no longer the poverty capital of the world, having dropped to the second position with India now occupying the first place, but it still has over 70 million people living in extreme poverty. More so, it is being bedeviled by the issues of insecurity characterized by the various acts of terrorism and banditry and the incessant cases of kidnapping for rituals and ransom and the heinous killings taking place across the country. In the face of all these challenges, there is no doubt that it is high time we translated the lessons from Eid-ul-Adha into affirmative action in order to turn things around positively for this country. As the Prophet Ibrahim (as) was obedient and submissive to the law and commands of God, Nigerians, too, must abide by not only the law and commandments of God, but also the constitution and law of the land. We must abide by the dictates of the rule of law and stop taking the law into our hands. Like the grand Abrahamic sacrifice, we must sacrifice injustice for justice to prevail in this country. Everyone needs to sacrifice unrighteousness for righteousness and selfishness for selflessness and service to humanity in order to realize national development, progress, and peace. More so, as Eid-ul-Adha resonates the virtue of sharing, through the sharing of the sacrificial animals with neighbours, friends, and acquaintances, we must imbibe the virtue of sharing love, affection, compassion, peace, respect, and understanding with each other, irrespective of the religious and ethnic backgrounds. We must sacrifice inhumanity for humanity and cooperate for promoting the common good and activate our collective sense of community and national development. Newsman: Thanks for your time, sir. Al-Hafiz Yunus Omotayo: It’s a pleasure.

It has been a jubilation galore following the approval by the Lagos State University (LASU) of the registration of a Chapter of Ahmadi Muslim Students’ Association (AMSA) on the University campus on 20th July 2022. The letter of approval, signed and issued by Mr. Fashola T. O., the Senior Assistant Registrar, Students’ Affairs Division,  at the instance of the Acting Dean, Students’ Affairs Division, officially notified the President of AMSA (LASU Chapter), Mr. Badmus Isa Taiwo,  that “your request to register Ahmadi Muslim Students Association, Lagos State University Chapter has been APPROVED.” It further noted that “This approval is subject to the ratification by the University Senate on the recommendation of the Students’ Affairs Committee, and it is renewable at the end of every academic session.” In his reaction to the historic development, the Chapter’s President, a 400-level Islamic Studies student of the University, was quick to express his joyful emotions, stating that, “For over a decade, the past administrations of AMSA, LASU have tried to register the association on campus, but the University Authorities didn’t grant it.” “Recently, however,  my immediate predecessor, in the person of Comrade Hafiz Ismail Abdul Qadri, called me and gave some pieces of advice about the AMSA LASU registration. We started the struggle again since last semester. I submitted our application for registration more than three times.” Narrating further, he said, “I was very happy when, while we’re preparing for our program (AMSA LASU FRESHER’S ORIENTATION) yesterday, I was called from Students’ Affairs Office that our approval letter is ready.” Expressing his gratitude, he said, “I give thanks to Almighty Allah, because He is the One that makes this struggle comes to reality.” “Also, I really appreciate some of our lecturers and brothers on campus. Dr Sa’eed Olurotimi Timehin, Mr. Bosun Jubril Akinde, Mr. Abdul Hakeem Akintobi, Dr Oyebo, Dr Edu, Mr. Popoola and Mr Balogun Ridwanullah (Saudibras) who are Ahmadi lecturers on campus. Also, Dr. Bello, who, although, is, actually, not an Ahmadi Muslim, but stood behind us during the registration struggle.” In the same vein, while reacting to this achievement, Hafiz Abdurrofeeq Alaka, a former National President of AMSA Nigeria (2017-2019) and First Class graduate of LASU, said, “Alhamdulillah. It is a thing of joy to live to witness this achievement that directly affects the lives of Ahmadi Students within the campus.” Speaking further, he recalled that, “Several attempts have been made previously and the mainstream body, i.e. Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has proven difficult to deal with. Despite our non-registered status in 2013, we managed to secure a hall within the campus for a program, bringing together AMSA members in Lagos State; but surprisingly, MSSN came and disrupted the whole program.” “In 2017, we made another effort to get registered but we were, however, told by the LASU Muslim community to go and get a letter of recognition from MSSN. This was just a plan to frustrate our plans knowing full well that that was impossible. At any rate, we’re happy that, finally, justice has been served and we felicitate with the entire members of AMSA Nigeria for this breakthrough, he added.” The purpose for establishing AMSA is “to build a membership base who shall serve as an agent of peace, equity and justice by imbibing in its members, beneficial knowledge and acute leadership skills necessary for the development of our society in the 21st century.” Other purpose of the association is “To develop members’ knowledge and intellect for objectivity on Islamic teachings and for active involvement in its propagation and practice,” It also aims “To develop interest in social and humanitarian services and to lay the foundation of and work towards universal brotherhood,” among others purposes.